Common Sense Media Review
By Marc Saltzman
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Thought-provoking role-playing game with mature themes.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 18+?
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Fable III
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 16 parent reviews
Parents say the game presents a range of adult themes and moral dilemmas that may not be suitable for younger players, with many reviews highlighting inappropriate content such as violence, sexual references, and strong language. While some reviewers find the game's moral choices engaging and beneficial for older children, others argue it should be reserved for teens given its complexity and potential for misunderstanding.
- adult themes
- violence present
- moral dilemmas
- age appropriate
- content management
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
Based on 29 kid reviews
What's It About?
Xbox 360 owners can once again return to the fantasy world of Albion in FABLE III, where your older brother Logan is now king. Problem is, he's quite the tyrant, so our hero leaves the castle to start a rebellion. Gain enough followers and you could overthrow him and become ruler. But would you rule any differently? As with past games in Microsoft Game Studios' popular action role-playing game series, your actions will be tied to consequences. For example, as you're leading your revolution and trying to gain followers, you defeat a renegade leader who will beg for his life; if you kill him, you lose his clan of renegades as allies, but if you spare him, you gain a larger set of supporters (which in turn, open up a new outpost for you to use on your adventures). Decisions like these are peppered throughout the entire tale.
Is It Any Good?
This thoughtfully-designed and competently-crafted action RPG -- penned by legendary game designer Peter Molyneux -- is rich with story, memorable locations, and characters. Its combat – be it through swords, guns, or magic – is simple but gratifying. What's more, every action has a positive or negative reaction, especially once the player becomes ruler of Albion. (And you thought it would be easy being a monarch.) The game's co-op mode wasn't ready at the time of writing this, but two players can band together online to adventure through the campaign as a team.
This Xbox 360 exclusive lets gamers master might and magic, take on dozens of quests for (and with) colorful characters, and explore a huge world that comes alive on your television. Quite simply, if you liked Fable and Fable II, you'll love Fable III.
Online interaction: We were not able to test the online interaction, as co-op play wasn't yet activated at the time of this writing, but two players will be able to log online together and tackle the game side-by-side. They can also talk via a Xbox 360 headset. This will open the door to players playing with strangers and, consequently, possible exposure to offensive language and inappropriate topics of discussion.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about whether games with difficult moral choices can help make players think about the consequences of their actions in the real world. Do you think players can learn anything from making hard decisions in a simulated world? If you made immoral decisions, why did you do it?
Families can also talk about the game's depiction of sexuality. Players see no nudity, but sex -- with multiple partners -- is implied based on decisions the player makes as well as audio effects. Is this significantly different from actually displaying the act on screen?
Game Details
- Platform : Xbox 360
- Pricing structure :
- Available online? : Available online
- Publisher : Microsoft Studios
- Release date : October 26, 2010
- Genre : Role-Playing
- ESRB rating :
- Last updated : June 19, 2022
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